The Nautilus pompilius or also known as the Chambered Nautilus is considered by many to be a living fossil as over 400 million years they have undergone little change. Once dominating the ancient seas where there was about 10,000 species of the nautilus. Being the largest of the six species of nautilus to exist it has also become the most popular. The Chambered Nautilus is a marine creature that belongs to the cephalopoda class. The spiraled shell of this Nautilus is thin and smooth with a decorative brown and white pattern. During the Renaissance their shells became a very sort after decorative cabinet piece. The beauty of the Chambered Nautilus was the inspiration of a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes, in which he writes about how his life and spiritual growth after observing the mysterious life and death of the nautilus. This creature is not widely known in today’s world but is a treasure yet to be discovered.
The Chambered Nautilus grows to be about 20 cm in length as an adult. Inside the shell there are up to 30 chambers that help the nautilus to increase in size and move around to occupy the outermost chamber. Although the nautilus has about 90 small tentacles they don't have suckers. On either side just before the shell starts they have eyes, but not a cornea or lens. The Chambered Nautilus is a mollusk that is related to cuttlefish, squid and octopus. They are the last living genera of cephalopods (meaning 'head foot') that are externally shelled.
Diagram 1: Nautilus
Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Nautilida
Family: Nautiliae
Genus: Nautilus
Species: N. pompilius
Habitat
Great Barrier Reef
The Chambered Nautilus lives in tropical waters, which are in the western Pacific Ocean. The water here is near to the equator making it warm and the surface clear. Tropical oceans have a temperature of around 70 degrees that remains consistent. Heavy rains in these areas are normal as the warm water is evaporated and forms storms. These oceans play an important role in the regulation of the world’s climate changes and weather patterns.
The tropical ocean holds many different coral reefs and are often referred to as the ocean’s rain forest. These reefs are able to provide food and shelter for the marine life that live there also including Sting Rays and Sea Urchins. An example of a reef where the Chambered nautilus can be found is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. There are over 2,900 individual reefs that make a perfect home for the nautilus.
The slopes of reefs that often lead into deep water is where the Chambered Nautilus is most likely to be. This is the case because during the day the nautilus stays at deep depths of up to 500m where the water is dark and cool. This is where they reside because there are very few predators. During the night the nautilus rises to a shallower depth to feed.
Coral Reef
The Chambered Nautilus also lives in tropical waters extending from the Andaman Sea east to Fiji and Southern Japan.
Adaptations Behavioral Adaptation #1: Hiding Eggs
Female Nautilus Protecting Eggs
The nautilus reproduces by laying eggs. The eggs are usually attached to rocks in shallower water, where they are hidden away from the predators. This is where the eggs will stay for 8 to 12 months when they will be ready and fully developed to hatch. The female has to take the eggs up to the shallower water, where there are many preadtors and by hiding them, the eggs will be able to develop properly. Future generations of the nautilus are important because there is a threat to their species, and by keeping the eggs hidden there is more chance of a new generation.
Behavioral Adaptation #2: Reaction Time
Protected Nautilus
When the Chambered Nautilus is in danger and close to predators it is able to immediately withdraw into the armor it has and seal the door with a tough, leathery hood. The nautilus has adapted to this certain behavior of protecting the most vulnerable part of themselves by being able to know when a predator is around. The reaction of going back into it's shell is crucial from protecting other marine creatures from eating it inside. Predators of the nautilus would be relying on a surprise attack in order to capture and eat them. This constant threat made the nautilus more aware of its surroundings and able to quickly escape into the safety the shell and hood covering. This is a way of outsmarting the predator and can mean the difference of life and death.
Structural Adaptation #1: Outer Shell
Shell of Nautilus
The nautilus has a fully developed shell for protection and is the only cephalopod that has this characteristic. Like many other animals and marine creatures the Chambered Nautilus camouflages itself. The outer shell is used as a safety net predators, to keep the nautilus from being dinner. The shell of a nautilus is very hard for any animal to crack, and would be near impossible to get inside. This is a great advantage, because when inside its shell a hood is pulled over that creates a seal (as mentioned in Behavioral adaptation #2) which is very tough to break thus providing further protection. The top of its shell is a dark brown with many stripes that break up the outline of the nautilus. This keeps it hidden because when viewed from above the dark colours of the nautilus blend in with the ocean bottom. The white on the bottom of the shell camouflages it (if looking from below) when going up to sunny waters to feed. The outer shell does alot to keep the Chambered Nautilus safe from the predators lurking about and has been successful in doing so. Predators could include Sharks
Structural Adaptation #2: Tentacles The nautilus seems to be a very calm and delicate creature, but with its 90 arms a brutal predator emerges. Tentacles are used to touch and taste the world but most importantly capture prey. Unlike the arms of an octopus the nautilus doesn't have suckers but instead folds and creases all over. This helps them to better grasp their prey. Once the victim has been captured the arms feed it towards the center where there is a beak ready and waiting to crush the shells of crabs and shrimps. The tentacles are able to reach far to catch prey because the nautilus doesn't have great eye site. Speed is also important in capturing the prey as they have to be caught off guard for the nautilus to catch them, that is why the folds and creases let the arms be more flexible and move at a higher speed. The amount of tentacles make it very hard for the predator to escape, because it will be held back by 90 arms that are all very strong. The tentacles are very important because without them the nautilus would find it very difficult to capture the food needed at least once a month. If the nautilus didn't have them it would lead to fatigue as capturing food would be near impossible as it would have to swim right in front of the beak and into it. This keeps the nautilus full and able to continue living a comfortable life.
Physiological Adaptation: Sense of Smell
Nautilus' Eye
The Chambered Nautilus lacks the complexity of the eyes that humans have to see clearly and they are therefore called primitive. The eyes of a nautilus has a pupil that is a hole which lets water enter and fill the eye. Their eyes don't have a lens or transparent jelly. When there is light it is focused onto to retina by the 'pinhole camera' principle. This means that the pupil has to be large in order for enough light to enter so it is possible to see. The primitive eyes of the nautilus means that the image that is formed would be blurred and out of focus. Their eyes are not effective in finding prey, so instead the nautilus uses its acute sense of smell to find small fishes and crabs. Luckily for the nautilus they only need to feed around once a month because of the warm seas they live in. The sense of smell that the Chambered Nautilus has also enables it to find a mate, this helps to continue the species and prevent extinction.
BibliographyWebsites:
"Chambered Nautilus - Deep Sea Creatures on Sea and Sky." Sea and Sky - Explore the Oceans Below and the Skies Above. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/chambered-nautilus.html>.
Fossil Animal Modern Animal Future Animal
The Chambered Nautilus grows to be about 20 cm in length as an adult. Inside the shell there are up to 30 chambers that help the nautilus to increase in size and move around to occupy the outermost chamber. Although the nautilus has about 90 small tentacles they don't have suckers. On either side just before the shell starts they have eyes, but not a cornea or lens. The Chambered Nautilus is a mollusk that is related to cuttlefish, squid and octopus. They are the last living genera of cephalopods (meaning 'head foot') that are externally shelled.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Nautilida
Family: Nautiliae
Genus: Nautilus
Species: N. pompilius
Habitat
The tropical ocean holds many different coral reefs and are often referred to as the ocean’s rain forest. These reefs are able to provide food and shelter for the marine life that live there also including Sting Rays and Sea Urchins. An example of a reef where the Chambered nautilus can be found is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. There are over 2,900 individual reefs that make a perfect home for the nautilus.
The slopes of reefs that often lead into deep water is where the Chambered Nautilus is most likely to be. This is the case because during the day the nautilus stays at deep depths of up to 500m where the water is dark and cool. This is where they reside because there are very few predators. During the night the nautilus rises to a shallower depth to feed.
The Chambered Nautilus also lives in tropical waters extending from the Andaman Sea east to Fiji and Southern Japan.
Adaptations
Behavioral Adaptation #1: Hiding Eggs
Behavioral Adaptation #2: Reaction Time
Structural Adaptation #1: Outer Shell
Structural Adaptation #2: Tentacles
The nautilus seems to be a very calm and delicate creature, but with its 90 arms a brutal predator emerges. Tentacles are used to touch and taste the world but most importantly capture prey. Unlike the arms of an octopus the nautilus doesn't have suckers but instead folds and creases all over. This helps them to better grasp their prey. Once the victim has been captured the arms feed it towards the center where there is a beak ready and waiting to crush the shells of crabs and shrimps. The tentacles are able to reach far to catch prey because the nautilus doesn't have great eye site. Speed is also important in capturing the prey as they have to be caught off guard for the nautilus to catch them, that is why the folds and creases let the arms be more flexible and move at a higher speed. The amount of tentacles make it very hard for the predator to escape, because it will be held back by 90 arms that are all very strong. The tentacles are very important because without them the nautilus would find it very difficult to capture the food needed at least once a month. If the nautilus didn't have them it would lead to fatigue as capturing food would be near impossible as it would have to swim right in front of the beak and into it. This keeps the nautilus full and able to continue living a comfortable life.
Physiological Adaptation: Sense of Smell
BibliographyWebsites:
"Chambered Nautilus - Deep Sea Creatures on Sea and Sky." Sea and Sky - Explore the Oceans Below and the Skies Above. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/chambered-nautilus.html>.
"Chambered Nautilus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambered_Nautilus>.
"Chambered Nautilus." National Aquarium, Baltimore | Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://www.aqua.org/animals_chamberednautilus.html>
"Chambered Nautilus Fact Sheet - National Zoo| FONZ." Welcome to the National Zoo| FONZ website - National Zoo| FONZ. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Invertebrates/Facts/cephalopods/FactSheets/chamberednautilus.cfm>.
"Nautilus pompilius, Nautiluses - The Cephalopod Page." Octopus, Squid, Cuttlefish, and Nautilus - The Cephalopod Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/Npompil.php>.
"Kids.Net.Au - Encyclopedia > Nautilus." Kids.Net.Au - Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/na/Nautilus>.
Pictures (in order from top to bottom):
http://0.tqn.com/d/sanfrancisco/1/0/u/Z/-/-/nautilus.jpg
http://www.divetrip.com/maldives/maldives_report07.jpg
http://www.coralreefinfo.com/images/coral_reef.jpg
http://www.brandoncole.com/profile%20photos/INVERTEBRATES/octopus%20and%20kin/nt1-pacific_giant_octopus_eggs_brandon_cole.jpg
http://www.weichtiere.at/images/weichtiere/kopffuesser/nautilus/ammon4.jpg
http://www.donsutherland.com/images/139-9%20Chambered%20Nautilus%20Palau%20large.jpg
http://pixdaus.com/pics/1251788453zGbtqDy.jpg
Diagram:
http://www.beachgolff.com/images/Nautilus_diagram_JPEG.JPG
Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=62.593341,87.890625&spn=11.131659,39.287109&t=k&z=4&key=ABQIAAAAHy69XWEjciJIVElz0OYMsRRoCAjwXW2DNh_dv60CnBFE2pPtGxRTilYXM64SlfQw_Z78CN22VtwV7A&mapclient=jsapi&oi=map_misc&ct=api_logo
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49TX8C0LPKg
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